Travel

Sea-Tac Security Lines Could Soon be Less Awful

A new system could help speed up dreaded airport screening wait times.

By Michael Rietmulder July 26, 2017

sea-tac-screening

[addtoany]

For anyone who’s been stuck in Sea-Tac’s screening lines behind the guy struggling to get his shoes and laptop into those plastic bins in less than five minutes, help could be on the way.

Hapless goons will still be permitted to fly out of the Seattle area’s main airport, but new technology could get you through security checks quicker despite them. On Tuesday, Sea-Tac brass approved a plan to install automated screening lines designed to usher people through checkpoints faster and spare TSA agents some hassle.

The new screening lanes would allow up to five people to load their bins at the same time, with whoever’s ready first advancing in line, the Puget Sound Business Journal reports. Inevitably, someone will still forget about that water bottle they had in their carry on, but officials with airports that have already using the system (including London’s Heathrow and Chicago’s O’Hare) say its sped up the process.

Instead of having TSA agents stacking and retrieving bins, a new conveyor belt system will do that automatically, while directing bins requiring additional screening to a separate area. The idea is to ensure a continuous bin-screening circle, with as little manual labor as possible.

That’s right, we figured out how to make 735,000 pounds of steel sail through the sky, but just realized a fancier conveyor belt can help speed up a line.

At any rate, a Sea-Tac report suggests the automated system could increase “passenger throughput” by 30-40 percent.

According to the Journal, Delta and Alaska Air Group were lobbying for the new system. Sea-Tac officials noted the airport’s sharp rise in passengers (and checkpoint wait times) over the last five years. Sea-Tac will seek bids to for the $30 million system, which will be installed in phases between now and 2019, starting with checkpoints 2, 3 and 5. For now, Sea-Tac has only approved funding for $17 million.

 

Follow Us

Chik-Fil-A and Starbucks, But No KFC

Chik-Fil-A and Starbucks, But No KFC

What’s your guilty fast-food pleasure?

Now comes a new data study that reveals Washington’s favorite and least favorite fast-food chains...

Virtual Playground

Virtual Playground

VR social gaming launches in Bellevue

Brush up on your VR gaming skills so you don’t flail in front of an audience — though, that’s meant to be part of the fun...

Downtown Seattle Gains Ground

Downtown Seattle Gains Ground

Foot traffic is on the rise

Downtown Seattle foot traffic continues to increase even though major retailers are increasingly moving out...

Canlis Goes Pink For KENLIS

Canlis Goes Pink For KENLIS

Upscale restaurant gets a colorful makeover

[addtoany]Canlis is going pink. The Seattle fine dining restaurant is ditching its dark colors in favor of a bold pink for a Barbie-themed event called “KENLIS” Aug. 9 and 10. The restaurant is now painted a flashy bright pink. The event is a dance party at “the Canlis dream house” that benefits breast cancer research…